A wolf in sheep's clothing: The perils of exploitative leadership

Abstract

Despite extensive scholarly inquiry into destructive leadership, research on leaders’ self-serving and exploitative behaviour is in its initial stages. This multi-study investigation contributes to this body of literature. Study 1 was conducted to test the serial mediation of state suspicion (SS) and supervisor-based cynicism between exploitative leadership and employee procrastination. It involved collecting single-source time-lagged data from textile industry employees in Pakistan. Study 2 replicated the findings of study 1 in the information technology (IT) industry by using multi-source time-lagged data. It extended the suggested model by proposing negative workplace gossip about supervisors as an outcome of exploitative leadership and employee procrastination. The results of study 1 (N = 279) and study 2 (N = 244) supported the serial mediation of SS and supervisor-based cynicism between exploitative leadership and employee outcomes.